William ebwin elam



turno i TICKET ECl-iSE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,455, dated December 1, 1885,

Application iilc l 0ctobcr23,1884.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. ELAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Americus, in the county of Sumter and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ticket-Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of a portion of a ticket-case constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of one of the ticket boxes or receptacles; Fig. 4:, a crosssection thereof; Fig. 5, a perspective View of one of the ticket boxes or receptacles, showing a modification of the catch.

The present invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in ticket-cases used in railroad-ticket offices, and for other purposes which it may be found useful, and the object thereof is to provide simple and effective means for preventing the ticket boxes or receptacles from being accidentally drawn entirely out of the case, but admit of their being readily removed and replaced in the case for any purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide the ticket box or receptacle with a supplemental spring-bottom, to more effectually prevent the tickets from working out through the end of said box or receptacle.

The above-named objects I attain by the construction substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed. v

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the case, of any suitable form and construction, provided with one or more transverse inclined partitions, B, for supporting the ticket boxes or receptacles C. Each receptacle or box O, near its front end, is provided with a depending lip, c, lug, or other suitable projection, adapted to enter transverse slots b in the partitions B, near the edge thereof, thereby holding the receptacles or boxes in position upon the partitions or shelves, but admitting of their being drawn out by raising the front end sufficiently to disengage the lip a from the slot b. p l

Serial No. 146,294. (No model.)

The ticket boxes or receptacles C, I prefer to construct in such manner as to adapt them to tickets varying in length or widththat is to say, enable'each box or receptacle to be laterally extensible, in order to increase or diminish its width. rlhe most convenient means of attaining this end is by constructing the box or receptacle of two independent sections, c d, preferably of sheet metal. These two sections are each bent to form one ofthe sides and bottoms of the box or receptacle, and are laterally adjustable `by screw-bolts passing through elongated slots in the bottom and secured by nuts; or any other convenient means may be employed, as found most desirable. The sides of the box or receptacle C, at the front end, are inclined, and have retainingflanges V@,against which the tickets are held by the marble or ball D.

The above-described form of ticket box or receptacle-that is to say, abox provided with laterally adjustable sides, open front, and flanges thereon projecting inwardly-forms the subject of a prior application, the adjustable sides, as in the present application, each forming one side and bottom of the box.

The box or receptacle G is provided with a supplemental spring-actuating bottom. The object thereof is to keep closed the opening through which the tickets are extracted, and thus prevent the tickets from falling through. The most simple means of accomplishing this result, among the many forms of spring-actuating bottoms, is a strip, E, of a width and length corresponding with that of the box or receptacle O, and suitably connected to the rear end thereof. rlhis strip E is formed of spring metal, and is preferably connected to the box or receptacle so as to admit of its longitudinal adjustment, as shown in Fig. 3. The tendency ot' the front end of the metal strip E is to press upward against the retaining-flan ges e, thus closing the opening through which the tickets are extracted, and preventing them from accidentally dropping out.

By pressing down on the front one of' the tickets in the box or receptacle with the thumb the end ofthe metal strip which comes in contact vwith the retaining-flanges will be forced down suificiently to form an opening for the extraction of the ticket. When pressure is removed, the spring-bottom or metal strip will IOO return toits normal position, close the opening and absolutely prevent the tickets from falling through.

The weight of the marble or ball usually employed does not always press the tickets forward with sufficient force to prevent the front ticket from falling through, and therefore a more positive and certain action in the closing ofthe opening is attained by the employment of a supplemental spring-bottoni.

There are various forms of spring-bottoms that may be used with the same effect and a like result, and therefore I do not desire to confine myself to any special construction, the one shown being considered the most simple and practicable.

In my former applicati on,in order to prevent the boxes or receptacles from coming entirely out of the case, I provided lugs upon the rear ends of said boxes or receptacles,which came against depending flanges on the transverse partitions when they were drawn forward. In the present application I have improved upon the means employed, in providing a transverse rod or bar extending across the front of the case and suitably connected to the sides thereof, which operates in connection with a yielding catch. This rod, as shown at F, forms a stop for the catches which I secure to the rear end of the box or receptacles C. These catches I term yielding catches, in contradistinction to the lugs show/n in my former application, and the catch may be constructed as shown at I, Fig. 2, wherein it is pivoted to the inner side of the box or receptacle, or may be in the shape of a spring, as shown at K, Fig. 5. Vhen one of the boxes or receptacles G is in position and it is desired to draw it forward, the front end thereof is elevated until the lip a is out of the slot b, after which the box or receptacle can be pulled partially out, the movable or yielding catch thereon preventing it from coming entirely out of the case. In this position, should it be found desirable to withdraw the box or receptacle from the case, the catch I or K is depressed by the finger sufficiently to allow it t0 pass under the rod or bar F. In replacing the box or receptacle C the catch is depressed by coming in contact with the rod or bar without having to depress it by the ingenas when the box or receptacle is withdrawn, the catch K being an equivalent to the catch I, as both are movable and yielding to the pressure of the finger or rod.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ticket box or receptacle having at its front or open end and upon its sides inclined retaining-flanges, in combination with a supplemental spring-bottom, the end of which normally stands in the path of the ticket and adapted to be pressed down to form an open ing for the withdrawal of the tickets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a ticketcase having one or more transverse rods or bars at its front or open end, of one or more boxes or receptacles for containing the tickets, provided with a yielding catch, constructed substantially as described, whereby it will be depressed, when inserting the box or receptacle in the ticketcase,by coming in contact with the rod, and after passing under it resume its normal position to act as a stop to prevent the withdrawal of said box or receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose described. l

3. The co mbinatiou, with a ticket-casehaving one or more transverse rods or bars at its front or open end,ot one or more boxes or receptacles for containing the tickets constructed with an open front end through which they are withdrawn, and ayielding catch connected to said box or receptacle and acting in counection with the transverse rod, as and for the purpose specied.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, y

a box or receptacle for tickets,having an open front end with inwardly-projecting flanges, laterally-adjustable sides, and a supplemental spring bottom, the end of which normally stands in the path ofthe ticket, and adapted to be pressed down to form an opening for the withdrawal of the tickets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a ticket-case having one or more transverse rods or bars at its front or open end, of one or more boxes or receptacles for containing the tickets, provided with a pivoted aud weighted catch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.l

6. A ticket-case having one or more downwardly-inclined partitions and transverse rods or bars arranged over them, in combination with one or more boxes or receptacles for containing the tickets, having a front open end and a yielding catch acting in connectionwith the transverse rods or bars, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the above I havev hereunto subscribed my name in the presence ot two witnesses.

VILLIAM ERWIN ELAM.

Witnesses:

O. C. STONE, LorT WARREN.

ICO 

